Texas genealogy Record Information Online

Texas Genealogy Records Online

Genealogy has become increasingly popular with people who wish to find out more about their family history and ancestors. Even if you are not a history buff or very skilled at research, learning where you came from and who you are can be done simply due to the ease of the internet. Searching for Texas genealogy records has given people keys to their past and providing interesting stories to future generations to learn about.

A genealogy search through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission web site can wield a lot of information. Their collections have microfilm for a variety of Texas state government records through a search using the online public access catalog. The library includes vital statistic indexes for births, deaths, marriages and divorces. Though actual certificates are not available, one can order Texas records easily. Other information available through the online database includes date of even, county in which the record takes place and certificate file number used to order the record. The online public access catalog has a search address bar with results that come up almost instantaneously.

When requesting Texas genealogy records from the Texas Department of Health Services, an application needs to be filled out and sent in either by mail, email or hand delivered. The current processing time is an estimated 10 to 15 business days in order to receive replies back from requests. Ordering vital records from within the past 75 years can be done through filling out an application which includes a valid ID and payments. Certified copies will cost 22 dollars and are payable to the Texas Department of Health Services. Certain restrictions will apply when requesting birth or death certificates from the vital records department. If you are not an immediate family member, vital records asks that you send in writing a statement for permission to Texas vital statistics to release a record to you.

The benefit of ordering certificates to aid in genealogy searches is that actually documents do exist and can be placed into scrapbooks, picture frames and uploaded to computer files for safekeeping. Not only can documents surface from Texas genealogy records, but photographs, news clippings and other relative material can provide great historical content. The Texas Historical Commission is another site to find out about relatives in Texas. Their library consists of a collection of publications and books that tell of history and census of people. There are also research links available to find out about courthouses in Texas and archives.

If you do not find the information you seek from Texas government websites, other information can be found online through search engines and ancestry pages. You best bet will be to go through the vital records department but you can also find what you need through other sites that charge a fee to use their services. Many different types of information can be pulled together to aid in your genealogy research including articles, military data and resources from professional genealogists. If you cannot find what you seek to begin with, try again until you get the results that you want.

Texas Genealogy Records

Chapter 108 of the Texas Family Code pertains to the collection and filing system for vital information of events that occur in the state. Birth, death, and marriage related information is commonly used in genealogy records. Texas birth and death information is collected and kept by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Records of births occurring within the last 75 years and deaths occurring in the last 25 years are considered to be protected records in the state of Texas. If you live in Texas, you may order birth and death records for immediate family members. If you live outside Texas, you may only order the records of yourself, your spouse, or your child.

Texas genealogy records such as marriage and divorce information is available only at the county level. For all marriage-related information, family researchers must contact directly the courthouse of the county in which the event took place.